


Weird Ain't Bad

by Scorpius_Wears_Short_Skirts



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Developing Relationship, Drunken Kissing, Established Relationship, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 11:45:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14496276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scorpius_Wears_Short_Skirts/pseuds/Scorpius_Wears_Short_Skirts
Summary: John Hancock had a problem.John loved Nick Valentine. He had for a long time. Recently they had even started dating.John also liked Preston.





	Weird Ain't Bad

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gay and polyamorous and these three good boys deserve each other.

John Hancock had a problem.

John loved Nick Valentine. He had for a long time. Recently they had even started dating. Actual dating, not the current version of wandering together and falling into a bed when one presented itself, but the pre-war version of going somewhere specific just to talk. Nick was an old soul and was trying to bring back the tradition and John could definitely appreciate it. 

John also liked Preston. John had made a refuge out of Goodneighbor but Preston wanted to help the whole Commonwealth. It was such a bigger picture project John would be overwhelmed but Preston truly believed it could be done. It was admirable as hell. The world needed more people like Preston Garvey.

The infatuation was a newer development that John hadn’t acted on. John probably wouldn’t ever act on it; Nick wasn’t the kind he’d go wandering on. He truthfully didn’t know Preston as well as he knew Nick, but Nick had been with him years before they ever got romantic with one another. He did wonder, though. He kept it private in his head and he did feel some guilt about it, but he wasn’t about to ruin what he already had.

Of course his plan to never act on the crush and hope it passed wasn't easy. Preston was just too damn nice. His laugh was too full. His smile was too honest. Preston was a lot like Nick and John hadn’t though he’d had a specific type before but it was becoming obvious he did. Preston _wasn’t_ Nick though; He was similar but simpler, he was a nerd, and prone to emotion where Nick was more logic driven. 

 

Nick wasn’t stupid. He had noticed John looking a little longer than necessary at Preston. Anyone could see John had eyes for the Minuteman. Still, he trusted John not to do anything without telling him first. John had been promiscuous before Nick had caught him all for himself and he didn’t expect the ghoul’s needs to disappear just because they were seeing each other. Still, John wasn’t a complete ass and hadn’t done anything so far as Nick knew. 

Despite his trust in John, Nick couldn’t help feeling a bit self conscious about the situation. John was a sexual person and there was only so much Nick could do for him with one good hand and a dry mouth. He didn’t think John’s crush on Preston was purely sexual, but it still made him overly aware of the fact that he was missing a few features. Maybe he just wasn’t enough for John and he should have expected the ghoul to start looking elsewhere eventually. That’s how he _felt_ at least. Logically, Nick knew infatuation just happened and that John didn’t think there was anything less about Nick.

John wasn’t acting on the crush; Nick would know. Because of this, Nick didn’t say anything. He didn’t acknowledge it at all. Either something would happen or it wouldn’t and Nick didn’t feel it was his place to interfere. To his own surprise, Nick didn’t feel any real jealousy. Preston was a good man, one he even liked and shared short but friendly conversations with in passing. 

 

Sanctuary was a nice Settlement, all things considered. It had begun as a place for the Minutemen to reform but quickly just became a place for the friends of Nate. They were an odd bunch but they had quickly become a family of sorts. As with any family, rivalries were bound to crop up.

John should have known better than to take Cait up on a drinking challenge. Ghoul constitution be damned, the cage fighter was still standing by the time Hancock had started to stagger. Not metaphorically, literally. Sooner than he knew, the world was spinning, Cait was laughing at him, and John wasn’t sure whether he wanted to vomit or just find some way to hold onto the floor so he wouldn’t fall off of it.

“You… ugh… You win, sister.” John conceded, grimacing as a sour breath left him. 

Cait cackled, called him a lightweight, and left in victory, going to he own room to sleep off her drinks.

Preston rolled his eyes. He had been drinking as well but not nearly as heavily as the other two. MacCready had gotten wasted and fallen asleep on a couch. That left himself and John as the only two left awake in the main hall.

“Are you alright down there?” Preston asked after John had decided that the floor was comfortable enough.

“Guh…” John answered.

“Do you need help?” 

John blinked slowly at him, but didn't answer. Preston decided to take it as a confirmation and knelt to pull John upright. John gripped onto the other man’s coat, scrunching his eyes closed as the new position sent all of his blood rushing into his brain. The headache was instant, and it was the last straw that made his stomach feel like it was upside down. The ghoul shoved Preston away and rolled over to retch.

“You know, after this I’m not sure Cait’s not an alien or something.” Preston said as he started rubbing circles in John’s back through his coat, sympathetic.

John laughed, choking slightly but his stomach had finished revolting. He felt a little better now that there was less centuries-old whiskey in his stomach. He sat up, noticing a dampness on his shirt.

“Oh nooo…” John whined when he realized he had gotten sick on his shirt. 

“I’ll get you some water.” Preston said, getting up. 

John nodded, checking himself for any further mess. The coat was safe at least, but his shirt needed a wash. He took both off, turning the shirt inside out and rolling it up. He had put the coat back on by the time Preston returned, handing him a can of water from the storage. John swished some of the water, cleaning his mouth and spitting onto the floor since it was a mess anyway. 

“Are you alright?” Preston asked again, extending a hand.

John nodded and took it, letting Preston pull him up. He wobbled, and both men had to hold onto each other to keep the ghoul standing. This close, John couldn’t help but notice the deep brown of Preston’s eyes, laced with concern. Fuck his eyes were pretty.

“You’re too damn good.” John muttered, leaning forward and goddammit he hadn’t meant to kiss Preston at all but it was happening anyway.

Preston pushed away, surprisingly gently. “You’re drunk.” He said softly, a note of disappointment in his tone. “You should go to bed.” 

John agreed with a silent nod, a heavy weight in his chest that was equal parts sadness, guilt, and anger at himself. What the fuck was wrong with him? Even hammered he should have had some goddamn self control. He shouldn’t have put Preston in that position. He had betrayed Nick’s trust. No more drinking with Cait, he decided as he staggered down the hall to his and Nick’s shared room alone. 

Nick was reading when John got to their room. He looked up as the door open, frowning as he saw the state John was in. 

“Where did your shirt go?” Nick asked at the exact time John said, “I kissed Preston.”

Both froze, staring at each other. Nick’s question paired with John’s decision to be honest had made the situation worse than it needed to be.

“I threw up on my shirt.” John elaborated, hoping that it would clear up the possible misunderstanding.

There was a beat of silence, and then to John’s surprise Nick started laughing.

“He wasn’t that bad at it, was he?” Nick teased.

John bristled, then turned to leave. If Nick wasn't going to be serious then John could just kick MacCready off of the couch and sleep there. Before he could go, though, Nick had grabbed onto his hand.

“Look, it’s… It’s okay. I’m glad you told me.” Nick said, pulling the ghoul back into the room and toward their bed. 

“I’m sorry.” John slurred. 

“I know. It’s fine, though. I’ve half expected you to make a move at some point.” Nick shrugged. “As long as you don’t try hiding stuff like this from me we’ll be okay. Can’t say I’m the jealous type.”

John was pretty sure that he’d passed out and was dreaming because he could not had heard that right. His _boyfriend_ was actually _encouraging_ him to go after another man? What the hell?

Nick seemed to notice John was having issues processing his response, so Nick took the liberty of getting John out of his clothes and into bed. John just let himself be guided wordlessly, and was asleep soon after. Nick didn’t join him in bed, instead leaving the room.

 

Preston was still in the main hall, cleaning up where John had gotten sick. He jumped slightly when he realized Nick was there, but went back to his self-appointed task without making eye contact. 

“Guilt’s a bad look on you.” Nick spoke up, lighting a cigarette and offering one to Preston, who declined. “I already know.”

“It won’t happen again. I know I shouldn’t have allowed it this time. Don’t blame Hancock, he’s drunk.” Preston quickly assured.

“Don’t worry.” Nick dismissed with a wave. “Nobody’s in trouble. John’s got a crush on you and I don’t mind that. I just want to know how you feel about the situation.”

Preston finally looked up just to stare, confusion plain on his face. “You and him _are_ a couple, right?”

Nick nodded, unable to stop a smile from reaching his face at that fact. Preston smiled too, though it was a melancholy sort of smile. The Minuteman sighed, and finished what he was doing. Nick was patient. He knew Preston was using work as a way to stall and collect his thoughts. 

Finally, when the floor was clean and the smell was gone, Preston plopped onto the couch. MacCready grunted at being jostled, but went right back to sleep. Preston took his hat off, running a hand through his hair and just leaving his hand there as he looked pointedly at the floor.

“I didn’t think that he would also… Damn…”

“Also?” Nick prompted. 

Certain of the fact that if Nick was going to get angry he would have done so already, Preston made his thoughts known.

“Hancock… _John_ … He’s a pretty great guy and he’s fun to talk to. A bit brash but sometimes it’s charming? And he always helps out whoever asks. Both of you do. That’s rare to find.” Preston shrugged. “But you two are together so I just left it alone.” 

It was surprising for Nick to hear Preston liked John back; Sure Preston was nice to John, but Preston was nice to everyone. Still it was disappointing for the detective to realize he had missed something like that. Before he could respond, the Minuteman continued.

“While we’re having this talk, I’ve… also considered you… romantically, that is.”

Well shit, Nick wasn’t sure what to do with that information. He wasn’t about to reject Preston outright though, curious about how things might go. 

“Start with John.” Nick compromised. “Give that some time, then we’ll see about you and me.”

“Fair enough.” Preston agreed, then let out a small, relieved laugh. “It’s getting late… All three of us should talk about this tomorrow.”

“All three of us should shut the f-heck up and let MacCready sleep.” MacCready groaned, pushing himself off of the couch and going to his own room, muttering darkly to himself.


End file.
